Reds, DeSclafani Slam Cubs; Mike Leake Hurls M's Past Red Sox; Yankees' Sudden Slump

Apologies for the nearly month-and-a-half break, but personal matters (allergies, work, etc.) were overwhelming. Baseball on Deck will now return to its usual posting schedule.

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 23, 2018

American League

Leake: 8 scoreless

Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-2 win at Boston Saturday, as Mariners' starter, Mike Leake, hurled eight innings of shutout ball before leaving after throwing 98 pitches. Reliever Edwin Diaz allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth, as the Sox spoiled the shutout.

Leake allowed just three hits and walked two, holding the Red Sox in check and in second place in the AL East, as the Yankees lost their second straight at Tampa Bay.

At 8-4, the 30-year-old, ten-year veteran is looking for his first winning season since 2015. That season he was 9-5 with the Reds and 2-5 with San Francisco for a combined 11-10 mark. Leake has been re-emergent this year with the Mariners, who continue to chase the Astros in the AL West. Seattle kept pace with the Astros after Houston defeated Kansas City, 4-3, in 12 innings. The Mariners trail the division-leading Astros by 3 1/2 games.

The Red Sox host the Mariners in the rubber game of their three-game series in Boston, Sunday, 1:05 pm EDT.


National League

DeSclafani: Grand Slam

Anthony DeSclafani socked a third-inning grand slam off Chicago reliever Brian Duensing as the Reds coasted to an 11-2 victory over the Cubs.

What made DeSclafani's slam the smash hit of the day was the fact that he was Cincinnati's starting pitcher, cruising through 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs, with three Ks. While DeSclafani did walk four, he managed to pitch out of trouble well enough to leave with a six-run lead in the seventh. Joey Votto tacked on the final three runs with his eighth home run, in the bottom of the eighth.

DeSclafani, who came off the 60-day disabled list on June 5 and had missed all of the regular season until that point, improved to 3-1, winning his third straight and sending the suddenly-hot Reds to their sixth straight.

DeSclafani's epic shot was the first grand slam hit by a Reds pitcher since Bob Purkey hit one against the Cubs on August 1, 1959.

The Reds are still bringing up the rear in the NL Central, but they've taken two straight from the Cubs, keeping Chicago two games behind division-leading Milwaukee, who lost, 3-2, to the Cardinals, thanks to a pair of Yadier Molina home runs.

The series finale is Sunday at 1:10 pm EDT in Cincinnati.


Yankees Suffering Through Slump

On Thursday, June 21, after the Yankees scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning in their 4-3 win over Seattle, completing the three-game sweep, New York fell into a deep slump, going 4-for-25 the rest of that game. That began a string of bad innings and plate appearances for the team that leads the AL in many offensive categories.

In game one at Tampa Bay on Friday, the slide deepened as six Tampa hurlers combined for a five-hit, one-run performance in a 2-1 Tampa Bay victory. The Rays held them to five hits in 31 at-bats, but that was just a prelude to Saturday’s 4-0 whitewash in which the Yankees managed four hits in 29 at-bats off four Tampa Bay throwers.

The Yanks have scored one run in the last 25 innings with a combined batting average of .153 (13-for-85), including their 4-for-29 Saturday sleepwalk. The two straight losses to Tampa Bay matches their longest losing streak of the season, a stat which is hard enough to believe, but they also haven’t homered in the past two games, a very un-Yankee-like trait.

Of course, there’s a simple explanation for the sudden lack of hitting by the Yanks. It’s called youth. The oldest starter for the Baby Bombers is outfielder Brett Gardner, who is 34. Austin Romine, who spells 25-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez, is 29. Every one of the regular starters, besides 33-year-old Neil Walker, who was 0-for-3 in Saturday’s shutdown, is no older than 28 (Didi Gregorious, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks).

Two of their starters, second baseman, Gleyber Torres, and third baseman, Miguel Andujar, are 21 and 23-year-old rookies, respectively. The pair was on fire until recently and, like all rookies, they were due to cool off.

Yankee fans have reason to be a little worried. Young teams usually don’t fare well in the second half of the season, but, considering how weak the rest of the AL East is - after Boston - the Yankees look like a lock to at least be a wild card. But, therein lies the problem. The Yankee post-season could be over in just one game due to the current playoff scheme that has the two wild card teams face off in a win-or-go-home showdown.

Making matters a little more of a concern is the schedule leading up to the all star break. The Yankees only have six more home games prior to July 15. Once they’re done in Tampa Sunday, they head to Philadelphia for a three-game series, then head home for three each with Boston and Atlanta, two of the best teams in the majors. Then, three in Toronto, four in Baltimore and four more in Cleveland to finish up the first half.

Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler Lead Tigers to 9-4 Win over Seattle; Mike Leake Goes Eight Strong in Victory over Cubs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

American League

Castellanos: Grand Slam

Kinsler: 4-for-5

Ian Kinsler rapped out four hits and Nick Castellanos smacked a grand slam as the Detroit Tigers hammered Seattle starter Mike Montgomery for eight runs (six earned) in the third inning, en route to a 9-4 victory in the third game of their four-game series.

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the series which concludes Thursday afternoon in Detroit.

For Castellanos, the homer was his eighth this season and got the scoring started for the Tigers. Kinsler, who was 4-for-5, finished the eight-run barrage with an RBI double. He added another double and two singles, scoring twice in the contest, the first time, on Castellanos' slam, after reaching on a bunt single.

The Tigers continue to struggle, but regained the .500 mark at 47-47, They trail the Royals in the AL Central by 10 1/2 games and are also three games behind the second-place Twins.

Nelson Cruz homered twice for Seattle, his 23rd and 24th both coming off Detroit starter - and winning pitcher - Anibal Sanchez (10-7).

National League

Leake Improves to 8-5

Mike Leake allowed four hits and only one run as the Reds took the first game of a double-header against the visiting Cubs by a 9-1 tally.

Kyle Schwarber drove in Addison Russell in the third inning for Chicago's only run.

Leake (8-5) didn't issue any walks, struck out six and threw 74 of 111 pitches for strikes.

Later, the Reds dropped the nightcap, 6-5, furthering the woes of the Cincinnati franchise, falling 17 1/2 behind the division-leading Cardinals in the NL Central. The Reds have struggled throughout the season, and currently have a mark of 42-51.

Chicago is nine games behind St. Louis, good for third place in the division.

St. Louis topped the White Sox, 3-2 on Wednesday.

Leonys Martin, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus End Rangers' 7-Game Skid; Mike Leake, Jay Bruce Lead Reds' 10-0 Win over Astros

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 17, 2013

American League

Ian Kinsler

Playoff-style baseball is already being played in ballparks around the country, as the AL wild card race continues to entertain six teams in contention for the two spots.

Leonys Martin

Topping the bill of Tuesdya's slate of games was game two of the four-game series between the Rangers and Rays, the two teams currently in position to capture both wild cards.

Texas snapped a seven-game losing streak and regained a tie with Tampa Bay with a 7-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Two players at the top of the order - Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus - and one at the bottom, rookie center fielder Leonys Martin, together accounted for nearly all of the Ranger runs.

Elvis Andrus

Martin was 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a pair of doubles and three scores. Leadoff batter, Kinsler, was 2-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBI, scoring twice, while #2 hitter, Andrus, went 2-for-3 with three RBI on a two-run homer and a pair of singles.

Texas starter, Alexi Ogando, gave up two hits and the Rays' only run, working five innings. The Rangers used five pitchers, the Rays, seven. With tired arms in both bullpens, Wednesday and Thursday's games could explode into offensive fireworks.

Elsewhere, Baltimore topped Boston, 4-3, Cleveland whipped KC, 5-3 and the Yankees lost their fourth straight, 2-0, at Toronto.

The Rays and Rangrs resume hostilities Wednesday night at 7:00 pm EDT. The series is tied at a game apiece.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/17)

Team	GB
Tampa Bay	--
Texas	--
Cleveland	-1/2
Baltimore	-2
NY Yankees	-3 1/2
Kansas City	-3 1/2

National League

Leake: 8 scoreless

Bruce: GS, 5 RBI

With the Washington Nationals taking a double-header from the Braves, the Cincinnati Reds might be feeling a little pressure as they maintain a 4-4 1/2 game lead over the Nats in the race for the final wild card, but Jay Bruce made certain that the Reds would keep winning, as he drove in the Reds first run with a single in the opening frame, then added four more with a fourth-inning grand slam.

Bruce's excessive run-producing was more than what starter, Mike Leake, would need as he improved to 14-6 by shutting out the Astros over eight innings, giving up five hits and two walks while fanning six.

With the 10-0 win - Cincinnati's second straight at Houston - the Reds retained the 4 1/2 game bulge over the streaking Nationals while remaining 2 1/2 back of St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead Pittsburgh by one game in the division.

NOTABLE: Sidelined since late July, Matt Kemp returned to the Dodgers' starting lineup on Tuesday and has already had an impact, going 4-for-4 with three RBI as the Dodgers hammered Arizona, 9-3, putting Los Angeles within one game of capturing the NL West pennant. LA plays at Arizona Wednesday and Thursday, and a win in either game, which, by default, would also be a Diamondback loss, would clinch the division.

Today's Trivia: Who won the NL batting title in 1975 and 1976, and then won it twice more - in 1981 and 1983 - for a different team? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Boston swept the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The next year, the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, four games to none.

Felix Hernandez Throws Perfect Game for Mariners; Mike Leake, Todd Frazier Keep Red-Hot Reds Rolling

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 15, 2012

American League

27 up, 27 down.

That's how Felix Hernandez handled the Tampa Bay Rays on a rare sunny afternoon in Seattle, setting down the Rays in order for the third perfect game this season, a 1-0 victory for Seattle, and the first perfect game in the Mariners' 34-year franchise history.

Hernandez joins Philip Humber of the White Sox and the Giants' Matt Cain as perfect hurlers in 2012, a year in which there have also been three other no-hitters.

This is the first time there have been three perfect games in a single season, and the total no-hitters is one off the modern record of seven in a single season, set in 1990 and again, in 1991. In 1884, under rules that differ widely from today's game, pitchers accounted for eight no-hitters.

Hernandez dominated the Rays from start to finish, throwing mostly breaking balls that Tampa hitters desperately flailed at throughout the game. Over the first three innings, Hernandez recorded two outs on strikeouts, three on fly balls and four ground outs.

Hernandez: Perfect

Then he really started to heat up, his breaking ball swerving across and around home plate to the discomfort of Rays' batters. He struck out two in the fourth inning, then got the side out swinging in the sixth. In the seventh, three ground ball outs were all the Rays could muster, and Hernandez fanned the side again in the eighth.

Desmond Jennings swung and missed at strike three to open the ninth, Jeff Keppinger grounded out to short for the second out, and King Felix finished with a flair, getting Sean Rodriguez looking on a fast ball to end the game and enter the history books.

Hernandez struck out 12 overall, all of them swinging except for the final out of the game. The sharp curves had the Rays fooled, as Hernandez threw 115 pitches, of which only 73 went for strikes. His perfect game was the 23rd in MLB history.

Improving to 11-5, Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young award recipient, lowered his ERA to 2.60, tied for fourth best for starters in the league with Chicago's Chris Sale. His 12 Ks upped his total to 174, tying him for second in that department with Justin Verlander. Max Scherzer leads the league with 178.

The Mariners, hopelessly out of the running for the playoffs and en route to their 11th straight losing season, slowed down the Rays, handing them their second straight loss after Tampa Bay had won seven in a row. The Rays dropped back to third place in the AL East, a game behind Baltimore and seven back of the division-leading Yankees. The O's and Rays are the current leaders in the wild card race.


National League

While not quite the effort of Felix Hernandez, Cincinnati's Mike Leake pitched a whale of a game in the Reds' 6-1 win over the Mets, allowing four hits and one earned in his second complete game of the season.

Mike Leake

Leake, 5-7, out-dueled Mets' knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey, striking out four wihtout issuing a walk as the Reds took their second straight at Citi Field. Leake also aided his own cause at the plate, singling home Todd Frazier in the seventh inning.

Todd Frazier

The Mets only run came in the fourth inning, when Leake got into a bit of a jam, giving up consecutive singles with no outs and putting runners at first and third, before inducing a double play hit into by Daniel Murphy and getting David Wright on a line out to end the inning. That tied the game at 1-1, but the Reds responded in the bottom of the frame with back-to-back home runs by Scott Rolen and Todd Frazier, putting Cincinnati on top, 3-1, a lead they would not relinquish.

Frazier, a replacement for injured Joey Votto, has been a godsend to the Reds. He was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs in the win, and is hitting .286 with 15 homers and 49 RBI in just 290 at-bats.

Since the all star break, the Reds have been absolutely on fire, winning 24 of 32 games, despite a five game losing streak last week. With their win over the Mets they've won five straight and lead the Pirates and Cardinals by seven games in the NL Central.

The series with the Mets wraps up Thursday night at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds will be looking for the sweep.